Chicago's hot, new music venue was a 7-Eleven
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The CheckOut. Photo: Moyo Adeolu/Axios
A former 7-Eleven in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood has been transformed into a community music venue.
The big picture: ACM (Access Contemporary Music), the chamber music ensemble making classical music more accessible, opened The CheckOut this month as a performance venue and teaching space.
- The 21-year-old nonprofit already offers one-on-one piano, voice and guitar lessons in Ravenswood, Avondale and Rogers Park, and hosts the annual Thirsty Ears Street Festival and Sound of Silent Film Festival.
Flashback: ACM founder Seth Boustead saw a "For Rent" sign in the vacant convenience store across from Graceland Cemetery in 2023 and had the idea of turning it into a performance space, WBEZ reported.
Zoom in: The new concert space seats up to 80 guests, and tickets for live concerts will stay under $25.
- Extending the 7-Eleven theme, the bar serves alcoholic and non-alcoholic slushies.
What they're saying: "We want you to check out the music, we want you to check out of your life for 75 minutes, just come and hear live music with other people," Boustead tells Axios.
What's next: Boustead says ACM also plans to host movie screenings that feature classical, iconic music scores.
If you go: The CheckOut's Opening Festival runs through Sunday at 4116 N. Clark St.
Go deeper: Peek inside the space